A Rose by Any Other Name
by Operation Zero
Summary: Soul Evans is like any other teenage boy. He has his motorcycle that he loves, he hits on any and all girls and he acts too cool for anyone else. But when he begins to fall for one of his best friends, Soul ultimately loses his cool. SoKi fanfic. ENJOY!
1. Chapter 1

**A Rose By Any Other Name**

**Chapter 1: Game Face**

"All I'm saying is that I really think getting a job would be good for you," Maka Albarn explained. Soul-Eater Evans sighed and ran his fingers through his spiky white hair. "Look, I get your point but can we please do this later? I'm supposed to meet Black Star and Kid at the basketball court in a half-hour," he said slowly shuffling towards the door of their apartment. Maka frowned at the teenager. "You know, I really wish you would stop skipping out on me when I have something important to say. One of these days, instead of 'Oh, hey I found you a job,' it's going to be, 'Oh, hey I have one month to live,' and you're going to tell me you have to go play Halo at Black Star's place," Maka said crossing her arms over her rather flat chest. Soul chuckled. "I'll make sure my schedule's wide open when that happens," he said smirking at the annoyed girl. Maka rolled her eyes. "Haha, that's very funny." Soul shrugged and grinned, flashing his unusually sharp teeth. "Hey, I try."

"Don't be out too late," Maka said as Soul grabbed his keys from the bowl by the door of their apartment. "No promises," Soul yelled back before grabbing his helmet and running out the door. He took the stairs down to the parking-lot where his red Yamaha sat. "Hello gorgeous," he said running his hand across the glittery red paint job. He swung his leg over and straddled the bike's seat. Pushing the key into the ignition, he flicked up the kickstand and sped off to meet the guys.

"Soul is late. That is simply unacceptable," Death the Kid said sliding his blue LG Xenon GR500 shut. He slid it into the pocket of his blue jeans as Black-Star stretched and yawned. "Maybe he realized he has no chance of beating someone as awesome as me and decided to save himself from total embarrassment," Black-Star said cockily. Kid rolled his gold eyes. "Yes, I'm sure that's it," the boy said sarcastically just as Soul's Yamaha sped into view. "See?" Kid said, smirking at the blue-haired boy. "I told you he'd show up."

Soul rolled the motorcycle into a parking spot and shut it off. He tossed the keys into the duffle bag he'd brought and ran over to the two boys. "Yo. Sorry I'm late," he said, grinning. "Six minutes to be exact," Kid said flatly. "I wouldn't mind so much if you had been eight minutes late. At least eight is a symmetrical number," the black-haired boy muttered. "Says the boy with the asymmetrical white stripes in his hair," Soul shot back, causing Kid to whimper helplessly. "Good one!" Black-Star said high-fiving Soul. "Enough," said a frustrated Kid. "Let's please just get on with the game." Black-Star grinned. "Don't forget who the best player here is." Soul chuckled and pushed his hair back with a black headband. "Black-Star, you flatter me. But kissing my ass isn't going to get you anywhere." Black-Star tossed his head back and emitted a deep laugh. "Keep talking like that and the only thing you'll be kissing is the pavement," he said dribbling the ball.

Kid chuckled. "I swear, you two are the most competitive people I've ever associated myself with," he said shaking his head. "Well of course _I _am!" Black-Star yelled obnoxiously. "After all, no one's better than me, the amazing Black-Star!" Soul and Kid thought for a moment. "Chuck Norris is," Soul pointed out and Kid nodded in agreement. "Yes, and what about Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee?" Black-Star faltered and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, okay, point taken." His entire demeanor suddenly shifted, showing off the usual cocky and overly-determined real life karate kid. "But I can still kick both of your asses when it comes to basketball!" he yelled, game face on. "Now, let's play!"

After two hours of vigorous overly competitive slam dunks and rim shots, Soul was declared the winner. "As it should be," Soul said happily when Kid announced the scores. Black-Star let out a depressed sigh. "Today's been an off-day for me, so you got lucky," the boy said pouting. Kid snickered and slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Black-Star's life in three words: an off-day," he said smirking. Soul cracked up and fist bumped Kid. "Slay hard!" Black-Star clenched his fists and growled at the two. "Dude, relax. Getting bent out of shape over a couple of stupid jokes is totally uncool," Soul said chuckling. The hyper boy sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Instead of focusing on that, I should be focusing on how I'm gonna beat you next time," he cheered, jumping up and down. Soul rolled his ruby-red eyes. "Something tells me he's never going to change," he whispered to Kid who nodded in agreement.

"Well, this has been fun but if I'm not home soon, Maka's probably going to kill me," Soul said sticking his tongue out. "Sucks to be you," Black-Star said snickering. Kid spun to face Soul. "Oh! That reminds me, some renovations are being done to the Manor, and I was wondering if you'd be so kind as to let me stay with you for a while, at least until the renovations are complete." Soul raised an eyebrow at Kid. "What about Liz and Patty?" he asked. Kid opened his mouth to answer Soul's question when Black-Star cut in. "Wait! Why do you want to stay with Soul? Why not me?" he asked, pouting once more. Kid slapped his palm against his forehead and sighed. "Because, Black-Star, and don't take this the wrong way even though I'm quite sure you will, but I hold a better friendship with Soul than I do with you, and frankly I find you extremely annoying and obnoxious," Kid stated while Soul tried not to go into a laughing fit. Black-Star merely blinked and shrugged. "In case you haven't noticed, everyone thinks I'm annoying and obnoxious," he said mispronouncing 'obnoxious.' "That doesn't change the fact that I'm awesome!" Soul grinned and threw an arm around Kid's shoulders. "Black-Star, Kid does think you're awesome. He's probably just afraid that you're too messy and asymmetrical. It's not your fault he's insane."

Soul was afraid Kid would react negatively to his comment, but to his relief Kid laughed, as did Black-Star. "Alright, I get it," Black-Star said lightly punching Kid's arm. "No harm done there." Kid smirked before turning back to Soul. "So, would it be okay for me to stay with you and Maka for a while?" Soul fought back a grin. "Jee, I don't know, Kid," he said rubbing the back of his neck. Kid grinned. "Soul, cut it out." Soul laughed and ran his fingers through his snow white hair. "Yeah, okay, you can crash at our place." Kid's pale face lit up. "Excellent! I need to go back to Gallows Manor to collect a few things. I'll drop by sometime this evening," The black-haired boy announced. "Cool. See you then," Soul said walking towards his motorcycle. "Later, Black-Star," Soul said getting on the motor bike. Black-Star waved. "Later, Soul!" Behind his helmet, Soul grinned_. My friends are total dorks_, he thought to himself, amused.

Fifteen minutes later, Soul pulled into the apartment parking-lot. He turned off the bike and hopped off, twirling his keys on his index finger. He whistled to himself a song by Gavin DeGraw as he made his way up the flights of stairs leading to his and Maka's apartment. Many people thought it was weird that he and Maka lived together even though they weren't dating. Just the thought made Soul laugh. He wouldn't date someone so flat chested and temperamental! That would be majorly uncool. No, he and Maka had been friends since the first year of middle school. Now they were both in the eleventh grade and never once had Soul even considered dating her. That would put too much stress on their already slightly complicated friendship (not to mention the fact that they fought like an old married couple.) The only reason he lived with Maka was because he really had no other place to go. His parents had died in a bad car accident just after he was born, and his older brother, Wes, was nowhere to be found. So, Soul was handed off to a very distant relative who he swears was clinically insane. Maka had been living by herself since the divorce between her parents because she downright refused to live with her good-for-nothing father. So, Soul moved in with Maka and the rest was history.

Soul walked into the apartment to find Maka watching some nature documentary about arctic seals. _Typical Maka_. He tossed his keys into the bowl by the door and stretched, walking into the kitchen. "How did it go?" Maka asked. Soul grinned. "I won by a long shot. Black-Star was second and poor Kid kept freaking out about the asymmetrical dirt stains on the freaking ball. He didn't make a single shot," Soul said chuckling. Maka smiled. "Wow, sounds like everyone had a lot of fun." Soul nodded. "Indeed everyone did." He grabbed a can of Dr. Pepper from the fridge and plopped down next to Maka on the couch. He reached for the TV remote, but Maka was quick to snatch it away. "I don't think so! I've been waiting to see this for like a month," Maka said shooting Soul a serious look. Soul groaned. "And I've been waiting for a month to get the new edition of Sports Illustrated, but you don't see me throwing a fit," he said lunging once more for the remote. This time, he was victorious.

"You're impossible," Maka complained while Soul changed the channel to football. It was Michigan vs. Northwestern. Now it was Maka's turn to groan. "Football? I hate football," she grumbled. Soul rolled his eyes and popped the tab on his Dr. Pepper. "I hate when girls whine," he mumbled. Maka clenched her fists and growled. "Something must've been wrong with me when I said you could live here," Maka said spitefully. Soul took another sip of his soda. "That reminds me, Kid's going to be staying here for a few days. I guess some renovations are being done on his mansion and he needs a place to stay." Maka blinked at Soul. "And you couldn't have asked me beforehand? Can't he stay with Black-Star and Tsubaki?" Soul gave her a look like she'd just said something incredibly stupid, and she had as far as Soul was concerned. "Maka, are you kidding me? Black-Star and Kid would rip each other's throats out within the first hour," Soul said matter-of-factly. Maka had to admit, he was right.

"Alright, point taken. Fine. Actually, I think Kid staying here would be good for you," Maka said suddenly, causing Soul to choke on his soda and spit it across the room. "I'm sorry, what the hell did you just say?" Soul asked, coughing. Maka blinked, trying to figure out what she'd said wrong. "I said that Kid staying here could be good for you," Maka repeated slowly, almost cautiously. Soul raised an eyebrow at the confused girl. "And why exactly would that be good for me?" he asked just a little defensively. Maka began to gnaw nervously on her bottom lip. "Jeeze, Soul. I just meant that you'll have someone to hang out with instead of being such a loner all the time," Maka said rubbing her arm. Soul frowned, slightly pissed. "Maka, what the hell are you talking about?" Soul demanded. "I hang out with Black-Star and Kid all the time! How am I a loner?" he asked, baring his sharp teeth.

Maka had to think through how she was going to answer that before she actually _did_ answer. "Soul, I just meant that whenever I leave the house, you stay here locked up in your room or you sit on the couch and watch TV until I get home. And the only time you go out is when someone has to beg you," Maka stated earning herself a warning glare from a very agitated Soul. "If you have a point then make it," Soul snapped. Maka took a deep breath. "Never mind. Forget I said anything," she said faking a smile. Soul smirked coldly at her. "Believe me, I will." Maka flinched slightly, but Soul paid no heed. Instead, he stomped off into his room and slammed the door to make a point that he wanted to be by himself.

Who did she think she was to call him out like that? That had to have been the most uncool thing she had ever done to him. Just because Soul preferred to stay away from crowds and didn't crave the company of others like Black-Star didn't make him a loner... did it? Soul groaned and lay back on his bed, placing his hands under his head. He really hated when Maka was even a little right, which was actually more often than Soul liked to admit. But the fact that she thought that Soul could benefit from someone else's company was absolutely insane. The only person who Soul had ever really benefitted from was Maka, and even that was unintentional. Even so... Soul sighed. This sucked. Soul had been in a perfectly content mood before Maka had gone and opened her opinionated little mouth.

Soul felt just about ready to rip his gorgeous hair out. He didn't even know why this was so confusing for him. Oh well. In an hour or two, he'd put on an apologetic face and fake like he was over it because that was the cool thing to do. Until that point, Soul would find something to keep him busy. Like listening to the shit ton of new songs he'd put on his iPod. Most of the songs consisted of The Script, Skillet and some hipster band he'd found called Love & Satellites. He pulled out his iPod and headphones. He lifted his expensive headphones onto his head and pressed play, closing his eyes and leaning against the headboard.

Soul remained like that for about an hour before someone rapped loudly on his bedroom door, breaking him out of his delightful trance. Soul groaned inwardly. "Go away, Maka," he said in a slightly annoyed tone. He needed a bit more time to himself before he would be ready to deal with her. However, much to his surprise, the voice that answered wasn't Maka's. "Well, considering I'm not Maka, may I come in?" Soul sat up, suddenly very aware that the voice outside his door belonged to Kid. He ran his fingers through his messy hair and shut off his iPod. "Uh... yeah, come on in I guess," Soul said lamely.

Kid slowly opened the door and walked in. "Maka said you've been in here for a while. Is everything alright?" Kid asked almost sounding genuinely concerned rather than just being polite. Soul rolled his eyes. "No, Kid, I'm not fine at all. My life is ruined and I'm going to stay in here forever and become a shut-in," Soul said sarcastically. Kid's expression became a disapproving glare. _Good_, Soul thought. "Are you just going to stand there all night?" Soul asked raising an eyebrow at his friend. Kid sighed and sat down on the end of Soul's bed. "There, are you happy now?" Kid half asked, half mumbled. Soul smirked a bit. "Yeah, I guess for the time being," he said with a smug amused grin plastered onto his face. Kid copied Soul's earlier smirk and adjusted the skull shape rings on both of his ring fingers. Soul watched him soundlessly as he fumbled with the metal bands.

After a minute, Kid realized he was being watched and he looked up at Soul. "Is something wrong?" Kid asked sounding almost disturbed. Soul frowned. "No." Kid raised a perfect eyebrow at the socially awkward teenager before turning his attention back to adjusting his rings so that they were perfectly symmetrical. Another minute passed before Soul groaned and covered his face with his hands. "Ugh! How the hell do girls do this?" he asked no one in particular. Soul's outburst caused Kid to slip, turning his ring too far to one side. He scowled at it and gave up, looking at Soul. "What do you mean?" Soul sighed loudly. "It makes absolutely no damn sense to me how girls can just sit in one spot and talk about absolutely nothing for hours on end without any of this awkwardness," he complained. He was met by an amused smile from Kid. Suddenly, Soul felt embarrassed for being so uncool.

"I understand completely," Kid said taking Soul by surprise. "I'll be sitting on the couch reading books about symmetry as I so often do, and suddenly Patty and Liz will launch into a conversation that has absolutely nothing to do with anything previously mentioned," Kid said chuckling. "The conversation could start with clothes and end with something about the latest news on Adam Lambert," he said sounding bewildered. Soul laughed. "Wow, seriously?" he asked, shaking his head. "I don't think I'll ever understand how girls' minds work. Well, except for the Adam Lambert part," he said nodding towards his iPod. Kid's eyes scanned the iPod. "I'll be honest, I've always wondered what kind of music you listen to," Kid said surprising Soul yet again. "Really?" Kid nodded. "I've thought about it many times, but I always come up blank. You seem like that guy who sticks to maybe one or two genres, or completely branches out to every genre known to man." This left Soul at a loss for words. He was really impressed by how accurate Kid's deduction was. "I'm more of the second one," Soul admitted.

Soul picked his iPod up off of the bed and turned it back on. He searched through the drawers of his nightstand for the ear buds the iPod had come with. After plugging them into the iPod, he scrolled through his playlists until he found the song he was looking for. "Put this in," he said crawling over to Kid and holding out an ear bud. Kid took the ear bud and pressed it into his ear. Soul hit play and a song began playing. The song was "No Boundaries" by Adam Lambert.

"Seconds, hours, so many days.  
>You know what you want but how long can you wait?<br>Every moment lasts forever  
>When you feel you lost your way."<p>

Soul hummed along with the music, sneaking a peak at Kid every once and a while. He actually seemed to be enjoying the song. When the song ended, Kid removed the ear bud and handed it back to Soul. "That's a gorgeous song. However, I do believe Kris Allen did it first," Kid said smirking a bit. Soul snorted. "Screw you. They both did it on American Idol," he stated. "However, it works better with Adam's voice. I'm a strong believer that Adam should've won instead of Kris," Soul said. Kid snickered a bit causing Soul to frown. "What?" Kid cleared his throat. "You sound gay." Soul cracked up. "Well, I will admit that if I were to go gay for anyone, it would be Adam Lambert. Even for a dude, that guy is damn attractive," Soul said grinning. Now it was Kid's turn to laugh. "I'll take your word for it."

Kid and Soul spent the rest of the night in Soul's room listening to various bands and more Adam Lambert. Soul hated it, but he had to admit that Maka could be right about Kid's presence being a good thing. Only time could really tell now.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or any of the characters (unfortunately). **

**A/N:** Thought it was about time I fixed this up a bit and got to work on chapter two. I suddenly have the inspiration to work on it again, so why not?! So on that note, Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

**A Rose By Any Other Name**

**Chapter 2: French Toast  
><strong>  
>Kid awoke to the sound of a piano being played, and very well at that. He yawned and sat up, stretching his tired limbs. It took him a minute or so to remember where he was and why he wasn't at Gallows Manor, his home. He was at Soul and Maka's apartment until the renovations on Gallows Manor were complete. He yawned again and stood up, groaning as realization set in that his clothes were wrinkled. "Stupid asymmetrical creases," he muttered to himself. Kid quickly smoothed his clothes out and made his way to the bedroom door. With every step he took, the piano music grew louder and louder. <em>Wow. I had no idea Maka knew how to play<em>, Kid thought to himself as his hand closed around the cold metal doorknob. He twisted it slowly so as not to alert anyone to the fact that he was awake, afraid that if he did, the beautiful melody would cease leaving only dull displeasing silence. However, when Kid opened the door, he was completely surprised to see that it wasn't Maka playing the piano. It was Soul!

Kid was a swirling combination of stunned and impressed. He had no idea that Soul had another talent aside from acting to cool for anyone and everyone around him. Then again, Kid really didn't know that much about Soul Evans to begin with, aside from what he already knew. Kid actually hoped for that to change sometime in the near future. He wondered who really knew Soul. Surely, Maka knew the real Soul behind the facade he held so perfectly in place. He watched as Soul picked up the pace, moving his body to the beat as if he had not even a single care in the world. Kid wondered what it was like to feel like that, like nothing mattered even if for only a moment. Soul looked so calm and serene. Kid noticed his eyes were closed. Soul didn't even need to see what he was playing. _Simply amazing_, Kid thought in awe.

Kid's plan to not be seen or heard was going wonderfully- until Kid momentarily lost his balance and loudly elbowed the door. Kid cursed under his breath as Soul's eyes snapped open. Upon seeing Kid, Soul flailed his limbs and fell from the piano bench right onto his rear. Kid's mouth gaped open as he watched Soul fall from the bench to the floor. "Dear god, Soul, are you okay?!" Kid asked torn between rushing over to help him and standing his ground. Soul cringed and glared ruby red daggers at Kid, causing him to flinch. "Well, I was being stalked while I was playing the piano and now I'm in pain and on my ass. Jee, Kid, do _you _think I'm okay?" Soul asked with far more sarcasm than was necessary. Then again, Kid supposed he did deserve it. If he would've just minded his own business, this wouldn't have happened. Kid sighed and made his way over to the embarrassed pianist. He held out his hand towards Soul, an apologetic expression plastered on his pale face. Soul grabbed Kid's hand and hoisted himself up. "Thanks a lot," he muttered.

"Sorry for snapping like that. I just don't play for people often," Soul said shrugging. Kid frowned. "Why not? From what I heard, you've nothing to be self-conscious about." Soul shrugged again. "I just don't like to I guess," Soul said, trying to make it clear in his voice that he wanted desperately to change the subject. "So," Soul said clearing his throat, "You hungry?" Not knowing what else to do, Kid nodded. "Cool. What do you want? I can't make much," Soul said rubbing the back of his neck. Kid thought about it for a moment before answering. "I'll take two eggs Benedict with a croissant and a caramel macchiato for my coffee." Soul blinked at the boy for a moment. "You're kidding me right? Please tell me you're screwing with me."  
>Kid frowned, his eyebrows furrowed. "I... uh," he stuttered feeling lost. Soul couldn't help but to laugh. "Let's get something straight, Kiddo. This isn't Gale's Manor," Soul said. "This is 'Soul and Maka's Apartment.' We don't have the fancy crap you eat all the time, so stop acting like a stuck-up rich kid or you can go without food," he said in his trademark flat tone, completely throwing Kid off. Kid frowned and clenched his fists slightly. "It's Gallows Manor, not Gale's Manor," was all Kid could manage to say. He was left speechless by the fact that someone, let alone Soul, had called him a stuck-up rich kid. It wasn't like he was completely clueless to the fact that people called him a stuck-up rich kid behind his back, but no one had ever dared to say that to his face. Could it be because his father owned and ran the school that they all attended?<p>

It took Kid a good minute or so to find his voice. "I'm sorry," he muttered, head angled down so that his bangs hid his beautifully pale face. Soul sighed. "Yeah, okay. Want some French toast?" Kid faltered again. What the hell? How could Soul be over it that quickly? It was almost inhuman! Then again, Soul probably thought it was uncool to linger on silly things like that. Kid sighed. "Sure, French toast sounds appetizing at least." Soul rolled his eyes and got to work while Kid sat at the small four-person table. He stayed silent until Soul finished and set a plate of French toast down in front of him.

"Feel free to let me know what you think of it," Soul said tossing the frying pan he'd used into the sink. "I'm trying to improve," he said with a small smirk. Kid picked up a fork and knife and cut off a piece, popping it into his mouth. Almost immediately, Kid's face lit up. "Soul, this is simply amazing! You're quite the chef," he said waving the fork at a very flattered Soul. He chuckled and dragged a hand through his snow white hair. "Glad you like it." He sighed. "If only Maka were as appreciative of my cooking as you are. She doesn't think my food is any good." Kid shot Soul a puzzled look as he took another bite of his breakfast. "Really?" Soul nodded. "Yeah. She even tried to get me to take cooking classes," he said laughing. Kid grinned a little bit at this. "I don't think I'd ever let Liz or Patty convince me to take a cooking class," he said flipping his oddly patterned hair out of his face. "I should dare them, or better yet pay them to," Soul said flashing Kid his signature smirk. Kid rolled his golden eyes and focused his attention on the delicious breakfast in front of him.

When he was done, he stood up from the table and slid his plate into the sink. Soul was sitting at the piano, quietly tapping out notes every so often. Kid came to stand behind Soul and slid his hands into the pockets of his suit coat. "What is that you're playing?" Kid asked, curious. Soul picked a pencil up off of the music holder and changed a few things in the sheets of music he had in front of him. "It's nothing really," Soul said flatly. "Just something I wrote." Kid knew this shouldn't have come as much of a surprise to him, but it did nonetheless. "What? You play _and_ you write?" Kid asked sounding impressed. Soul nodded, a faint grin turning up the corners of his mouth, giving Kid a glimpse of the boy's sharp teeth. "Did I mention I play the guitar too?" Kid blinked at Soul. "Wow. Simply amazing." Soul couldn't help but laugh a little. "It's not really that big of a deal. Musical talent sort of runs in my family. My older brother, Wes, used to play the violin. I don't know if he still does or not, but I would imagine so." Kid frowned, suddenly very confused. "You have an older brother?" Soul frowned and shifted awkwardly on the bench. He was a little sensitive on the topic of his family, most of whom were dead. "Yeah. So, got any plans for today?" the angsty teen asked, trying yet again to change the subject. Kid shot Soul a troubled look. Had something happened between Soul and his brother? Oh well. Kid decided it was best not to pry. Soul would tell Kid if ever he felt like it.

"Kid? Did you hear me? I asked if you had any plans today," Soul repeated waving a hand in front of the black-haired boy's face. Kid blinked and snapped out of his trance. "Sorry. No, I've no plans that I can recall," he said with a small shrug. Kid didn't miss the small grin that flashed across Soul's face. "Perfect. You can help me run some errands," he said, the slightest hint of amusement in his otherwise emotionless voice. "Wait, if Maka's not out running errands, than where is she?" Kid asked. Soul shrugged. "Maka and Tsubaki have some silly book club thing today," Soul explained. Kid sighed. "Oh. Alright then," Kid said sounding almost disappointed. Soul raised an eyebrow at the teen. "Hey, if you don't want to come, you don't have to. No one's forcing you," Soul said, hands in his pockets. Both his tone and expression were indifferent. "I really could care less either way, so do what you want." Soul walked over to the door of the apartment, grabbing his keys out of the bowl. He started to walk out the door when Kid yelled after him. "Wait!" Soul stopped and looked over his shoulder at Kid. "What?" Kid sighed and closed his eyes. "I'd feel weird if I was in your house with no one else here, and it's because of that reason and that reason alone that I'll go with you." Soul rolled his eyes and flashed Kid an amused smirk. "You may be one of the smartest people at Death City High School, but it amazes me sometimes just how stupid you can be, Kid," Soul said shaking his head and walking out of the apartment with a speechless Kid on his tail.

"Alright, so this is the stuff we need," Soul said handing Kid the shopping list as they walked into the Wal-Mart. Kid's golden eyes scanned over the list written in Maka's girly handwriting. "I figured you could get one half of the list and I'll get the other half. We'll meet up over by that cookbook display," Soul said. He took the list from Kid, being careful as to tear it into two symmetrical halves, knowing that if he hadn't, Kid would have thrown a fit right there in the store. Once the deed was done, he handed Kid his half. "If you have any problems or can't find something, text me," Soul said before walking off, leaving Kid standing in the middle of the unfamiliar territory known as Wal-Mart.

Kid whimpered pathetically. Truth be told, he'd never even been in a Wal-Mart before. Part of it was his obsession with symmetry and his tendency to violently hate anything asymmetrical. Nearly everything in the place was too terribly asymmetrical. The other part of it was that Liz and Patty did most of the shopping. Kid never had to do a thing when it came to that. Wow. Thinking about it, maybe this was what Soul had meant by "stuck-up rich kid." Kid sighed and looked at his half of the list. _Bread, Salami, Swiss cheese, pepperoni, Cheetos, Pringles._ Kid barely resisted the urge to groan. "This sucks," he muttered to himself, making his way to a random isle. He was halfway through the candy isle when he heard an unfamiliar voice call his name.

Kid spun around and recognized a girl with long brown hair who he thought to be in one of his classes at the high school, though he had no idea which class. "Oh. Uh, hi," he said awkwardly. The girl walked over to him. "Jacqueline. I'm in your History class," the girl said with a faint smile. "Right, I knew that," Kid muttered sounding apologetic. She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "So, what brings you here?" she asked, twirling a strand of long brown hair. _What should I say,_ Kid asked himself. "Oh, I just decided to go out today," he said shrugging it off. "Oh," Jacqueline said smiling. "I've never seen you here before," she said still twirling the same strand of hair. "Well, that's because Liz and Patty do most of the shopping," Kid said without much emotion. "I'm not really that fond of public places," the awkward boy admitted. "Yeah, you sort of came across as that type of person," Jacqueline said shrugging. "But that's okay! Some people just don't like to be as social as others," she said taking a step closer to Kid, who really didn't seem to notice the sudden change in distance between them. "You just have to surround yourself with people who, I don't know, get you," she said taking another step towards Kid.

Jacqueline released the strand of hair she'd been obsessively twirling and let her hand drop to her side while Kid just blinked at her. "People like me," she said, a sudden change in her tone and body language. The brown-haired girl took a rather large step towards Kid so that their bodies were practically touching. Kid suddenly became very aware of how the distance between them had quickly been eliminated, and nervously wondered what to do. He took a step back to keep his balance- and backed up right against a wall. _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, I'm screwed_, Kid thought as Jacqueline took another step forward. Now Kid was trapped. His eyes frantically searched for an escape. _I could just dive to the side, roll across the ground and make a run for it_, Kid thought just as Jacqueline put her hands on the wall on either side of Kid just above his shoulders. _No, no, that will never work! The floors are far too dirty and this suit is dry-clean only! _ Kid froze, his breathing halted. He knew what was coming next, but he was too shocked to move, even as the girl closed the small gap between them.

At first, Kid just stood there completely unsure of what to do. After a few seconds though, he seemed to relax into the kiss. He let his body take over and his arms wrapped around Jacqueline's waist, pulling the girl closer. Kid felt her gasp, and he smirked into the kiss. Jacqueline matched Kid's smirk and tilted her head so they could get even closer.

Kid wasn't sure why he was reciprocating. Typically, he stayed as far away from deep romantic feelings as he possibly could. In fact, the only thing Kid had ever really truly felt deeply about was symmetry. He'd never even considered having similar feelings for another person up until now, but a person could change... right?

"Coffee... coffee... Where the hell is the damn coffee aisle?" Soul mumbled as he trained his red eyes on the signs above each aisle. "Great, there it is. All the way at the other end," Soul complained, rubbing his forehead. Grocery shopping was a total pain in the ass and something he absolutely hated doing, though he always seemed to be the one doing it. Yet Maka somehow found it necessary to constantly complain about how all Soul ever did was sleep, eat and watch TV. Just because he wasn't as studious and as knowledgeable as she was.

Soul sighed and shook his head, turning his attention back to his half of the shopping list. He could worry about Maka and her personality issues later. Right now, he decided it was best to stop in the candy aisle on his way to the coffee aisle to get some snacks for Maka, Kid and himself. However, what he saw when he entered the candy aisle was definitely not what he expected to see. _What the hell?!_ Soul thought, unable to fully comprehend what he was looking at. One of the girls he recognized from his class, and… was that Kid? No, it couldn't be Kid. Though, Soul couldn't miss the unmistakable three white stripes in the boy's hair. _Well I'll be damned_, Soul thought, grinning and shaking his head. _Well, might as well make this fun for me_, he thought, picking up a few candy bars and dropping them loudly into the shopping basket he'd been carrying. The noise did the trick, and both the black-haired boy and the girl he'd been kissing jumped and gasped.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Soul asked trying not to go into a laughing fit. Kid gasped a second time, looking around the girl to see Soul standing there with a smug look on his face. The boy's usually pale face turned fifty shades of red from the sheer embarrassment he was feeling. He knew he'd hear about this to no end when they returned to Soul and Maka's apartment. "I, uh, I was just… Soul, let me explain, I was, uh." Soul went into hysterics as Kid fumbled blindly for an explanation, which only made Kid feel more self-conscious about the situation. "Kid, relax. I'll be over in the coffee aisle. If there's anything you want, I mean if there's any _coffee_ you want, just come find me and let me know," Soul said. Still laughing, the white-haired boy shook his head and left the aisle, leaving the two blushing teens alone.

"I'm so sorry about that," Kid apologized frantically, grabbing a fist full of black hair in each hand and shaking his head. He'd never been so embarrassed before. "No, it's fine," Jacqueline said with a sweet smile. "Besides, now that he's gone, we can pick up where we left off," she said, her tone and body language changing same as before. However, this time was different. Before Jacqueline could close the gap between them a second time, Kid carried out his initial escape plan and dove to the side, rolling on the ground and then right onto his feet. "See you at school!" was all Kid could think to yell as he made a mad dash for it, turning out of the aisle and heading for the books and CD's. _That was a close one_, he thought to himself when he was away from her. He didn't even care that his suit was soiled. He leaned against one of the book shelves, panting. _Of course. My first time in a public place like this and _that _happens_, he thought, shaking his head. _Oh well. No sense in dwelling on it. It happened, now I'll just have to accept it_. He sighed pulling his half of Soul's shopping list out of his pocket, deciding now was as good a time as any to get the job done.

Neither Soul nor Kid spoke on the way back to the apartment. Kid was still far too embarrassed after the candy aisle incident, and Soul was racking his brain to find a good way to bring it up again. He waited until they were putting groceries away in the apartment to do so. "Mind explaining just what the hell happened back there?" Soul asked putting away the cereal boxes. "I wish I could, but truth be told _I_ don't even know what happened myself," Kid said shaking his head as he put away the coffee Soul had gotten. "I was wandering around trying to figure out where everything when she approached me and started talking to me," he said, reliving the whole event in his head. "The next thing I knew, she had me pinned against the wall and then we were," "Completely making out?" Soul asked with a raised eyebrow. "Eh, yeah, something along those lines," Kid said rubbing the back of his neck and angling his head towards the floor so Soul wouldn't see the blush that was rapidly spreading across his face. "I guess I should apologize for sneaking up on you like that," Soul said with a nervous chuckle. "It was uncool of me. I should've given you two your privacy." _No matter how damn funny it was._ Kid chuckled and stood up straight, dragging a hand through his striped hair. "Actually, if I'm being quite honest I'm somewhat glad you stepped in when you did. After that, I was able to make a clean getaway without any trouble." Soul laughed and high fived Kid. "Well then, I guess I'm glad I could help."

"Hi you two," Maka said walking through the door a few minutes later. "Oh, hey Maka," Soul said as he finished putting away the last of the groceries. "Did you and Tsubaki have fun at your book club thing?" he asked taking three cans of Dr. Pepper out of the refrigerator. Maka smiled and nodded, taking one of the cans. "Yeah, we had a great time! We're reading this really cool book, well I think it's cool anyways. You probably wouldn't like it," she said making a face. Soul laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, you're probably right about that." Maka giggled and clasped her hands behind her back. "So, did you two have a good day?" she asked. Soul glanced at Kid and grinned. "Well, one of us did anyways," he said, snickering. Kid angled his head so that his bangs hid part of his face, which was quickly becoming red yet again. "Wait, I don't understand," Maka said frowning. "What happened?" Kid sighed and took one of the two Dr. Pepper cans that remained in Soul's grip. "I'm going to call Liz and Patty and see how they're holding up," he said flatly before walking into Soul's room and shutting the door. "Whoa, what's his problem?" Maka asked, frowning. "Oh, Kid's just mad because I caught him making out with some girl when we were at Wal-Mart earlier," he said making a face. Maka's mouth dropped open in surprise. "What girl?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You know Jacqueline from our History class?" Soul asked, and Maka nodded. "Yeah, well when I got to the candy aisle, those two were playing tonsil tennis," he said with a small grin. "You're joking," Maka said putting her hands on her small hips. Soul snickered and shook his head. "Nope. It took me by surprise too," he said shaking his head.

Maka and Soul both looked to Soul's bedroom door behind which Kid was. "He said he went in there to call Liz and Patty," Maka said frowning. Soul shot her a confused look. "What's up?" he asked. Maka shrugged and shook her head. "Well, it's just a hunch but I think Kid just used that as an excuse to leave the room," she said still staring at the door. It was Soul's turn to frown, and he too looked to the door. "Really, you think so?" he asked. Maka nodded. "Soul, I think you should go talk to him," she said turning to the white-haired boy. "What? Why me?" Soul asked, a bit caught off guard by Maka suggesting that _he_ should be the one to talk to Kid. "Because," Maka said crossing her arms. "You were there, you saw it happen, so he'll probably feel more comfortable talking to you about it." Soul opened his mouth to protest, but there was no use. Maka was right, and Soul knew that. "Damn," he mumbled rubbing the back of his neck. "This situation isn't cool at all."

"Alright, you two have fun. I'll talk to you later." Kid sighed and slid his phone shut, tossing it onto Soul's bed. Liz and Patty were currently having the time of their lives at Disneyland in California. They'd invited Kid to come with them, but he had respectfully refused. There were far too many people for him to feel comfortable there and he didn't want to ruin their fun by complaining about how asymmetrical the character's costumes were the whole time. Though, given the day's events, he was beginning to wonder if staying back while the girls went on vacation was such a fantastic idea.

"Kid, open up." Kid's thoughts were interrupted by Soul banging on his bedroom door. "Dammit, Kid, this is my room. I should be able to enter at will. So unlock the door and let me in before I break it down, which by the way if it comes to that you will be paying for it." Seconds later, the door swung open. Soul expected to see Kid standing there, but found him sitting on the bed and listening to Soul's iPod instead. "Locking me out of my own room is really uncool," Soul said, scowling. "So is listening to my iPod without my permission for that matter," he mumbled, crossing his arms. "What're you listening to anyways?" Soul asked, deciding to take a delicate approach to the candy aisle incident. Kid lowered the headphones halfway and looked at the iPod screen. "Geek in the Pink by someone named Jason Mraz," Kid said, mispronouncing the last name. Soul chuckled and sat next to Kid on the bed. "Not a bad song choice," he said. "Look," he said suddenly, removing the headphones from Kid's head and surprising the black haired boy. "I don't know why you're so damn embarrassed. Jacqueline Dupré is one of the most popular girls in the entire high school. If the other guys knew you got to make out with her, you'd be worshipped," Soul said getting to Kid to crack a smile. "Oh, I don't know, Soul," Kid said shaking his head. "I've never been good with romantic things or strong feelings or, well, feelings for that matter," he said with a small smile. Soul cracked up, falling back onto the bed. "Stick with me, that'll change really quickly," he said, laughing. Kid rolled his eyes at the white haired boy, but couldn't help chuckling a bit himself.

"Thank you, Soul," Kid said, smiling. "I definitely feel less embarrassed than I did," he said rubbing the back of his neck. "Well that's good. Wouldn't want you being all quiet and awkward for the rest of the night," Soul said with a playful smirk. "I would appreciate if you refrain from telling people what happened today," Kid said. Soul grinned and nodded. "Figured that much. Don't worry, Kid, you can trust me," he said before whipping a pillow at the rich boy. Kid blinked in surprise, then frowned. "You dare start a pillow fight with Death the Kid?" he questioned. Soul faltered before being smacked in the face with a pillow. "If we do this, Soul, you'll lose," Kid said, smirking. Soul sat up, a pillow in hand. "You're going down."


End file.
